The fundraiser of life, love and banana splits
by Loz06
Summary: Leo and Margaret attend a different type of fundraiser.


Title: The fundraiser of life, love and banana splits

Author: Loz.

E-Mail: loz06@yahoo.com. 

Rating: PG

Category: Leo/Margaret. 

Series: Stand-alone. 

Spoilers: None

Archive (if applicable): The National Library http://westwingstories.com/library.

Feedback: The good, the bad and the very ugly it's all appreciated. 

Summary: Leo and Margaret attend a different type of fundraiser.

Author's Notes: This is a reply to a Rhonda Dossett challenge set for the CJ/Sam list, so that's what my minor pairing is. To eJay who would have liked to have seen this one posted before now.

Challenge: A CJ/Sam story involving: a dress that's too short, a hamster named Clyde, a couple of your choice trapped on a roller coaster, and a banana split. Optional items for bonus points: a song and dance number and the number seven showing up seven times in the story.

*

"This isn't a fundraiser." Leo McGarry says to his assistant as they walk through the gates of the fun park. It's a warm Florida night and Margaret is dressed appropriately for the climate in flirty flowing sundress, a light sweater tied loosely around her waist incase a night chill rolls across the water.

She managed to get Leo into a relaxed pair of pants and sneakers with a casual shirt, it was more of a battle to get the three buttons undone.

"On the contrary this is your most successful fundraiser." Margaret corrects him looking around at the colorful stalls, the big wheel and roller coaster as well as an assortment of other carnival rides.

"You wanted to reach out to the younger generation, a generation of bright and newly crowned stars in the technology and dot com industries." Margaret reminds him as they walk past the clown games.

"And those young at heart." Leo mumbles. "This was Josh's idea." He adds.

"You're going to have kids lining up down the street and around the corner to register to vote and make contributions." Margaret says enthusiastically.

"Where's the class, where are the evening gowns, bow ties, champagne, three course meals and key speakers, how am I supposed to schmooze?" Leo complains.

"You can schmooze on the Ferris wheel Leo, just you and the contributor in a tiny seat, high above the crowd." Margaret says bobbing her head.

"I don't like heights." Leo informs her as CJ calls his name, Sam by her side.

"This was a great idea." She says practically jumping up and down.

"She's had too much cotton candy." Sam explains.

"Come on we're going on the roller coaster." CJ says grabbing Sam by the sleeve.

"The President hates this." Leo continues to grumble.

"The President is in the line for the roller coaster Leo." Margaret points out. "You've got your contributors here tonight who have been long time supporters of the Democratic Party, the difference is tonight their husbands, wives, children and grandchildren are here."

"So?"

"So the next generation of contributors is seeing first hand what lovely decent people we are." Margaret argues.

"How long have you been thinking about this?" Leo asks stopping and turning to look at her.

"Since this afternoon." Margaret shrugs bobbing her head.

"Get away from me." Leo says smiling as he walks on.

"Leo, you don't want to be the kid at the carnival with no friends." She calls, he stops and waits for her to catch up with him.

"Where are we going?" Leo asks under sufferance.

"I think we'd better start you off at the house of mirrors." Margaret deduces.

*

"You look like CJ." Leo smiles as Margaret looks at her reflection in one of the image altering mirrors, it gives the impression the top half of her body is stunted while her legs enormously long.

"My dress is indecently short." Margaret laughs looking over next to her at Leo. Her musical laugh rings out, the mirror expanding the proportions of Leo's head.

"Don't say anything." He instructs shaking his head serving only to make Margaret laugh harder.

"How'd you ever get that through the door Leo?" Josh's voice booms, as he looks at his bosses expanded head.

"Putting on a little weight around the middle are we Josh." Leo says looking in the nearest mirror at Josh's expanding waistline.

"This was a great idea." Donna calls as Leo and Margaret exit the morphing mirrors.

*

"Where now?" Leo asks spying CJ and Sam try to get the little ping-pong balls into a variety of goldfish bowls.

"Go for number seven Sam." She laughs aiming for the closest bowl with the number on it.

"Well someone called Peter the Porcupine and Danny the Dolphin are going to be doing a song and dance in five minutes." Margaret offers joking.

"Margaret." Leo says seriously waiting for her to be realistic.

"Leo!" A male voice calls.

"Mike." Leo greets overly cheerily. "This is my assistant Margaret."

"Mike Buchanan, these are my daughters Kristen and Elizabeth." He says to Margaret of the two young girls clinging to his hands. "This is a wonderful idea Leo."

"I wish I could take all the credit, Josh Lyman had a big hand in it."

"Tell him I said congratulations, it's a great idea and I've made some top contacts tonight."

"I'll pass that on." Leo says politely not wanting to display his overjoyed state.

"We're off to the show." Mike says looking down at his daughters.

"Margaret and I decided to pass." Leo smiles. "Enjoy it."

"Goodbye." Margaret smiles down at the two young girls who have golden spun hair like their father.

"Don't say I told you so." Leo mutters as they continue in the opposite direction.

Smiling Margaret says nothing and continues to walk side by side with Leo.

"Come and see Clyde." Margaret cries out breaking the silence.

"Guess my weight to win a prize." Leo reads from the sign as Margaret weaves her way through the crowd to get a look at Clyde.

"Oh he's so cute." She coos.

"It's a hamster." Leo says unimpressed.

"They can run up to ten miles on those little wheels." Margaret informs him.

"Well maybe I'm a little impressed." Leo relents. "What's the prize?" He asks the stall attendant.

"First prize a week in the Keys, second a seven hundred bucks and third that..." The man says pointing to the life-sized stuffed lion.

"I've seen them in Toys 'R Us for a hundred dollars." Margaret whispers next to him.

"What are you doing in Toys 'R us?" Leo asks.

"Buying gifts for your nephews and nieces." Margaret replies.

"Well what do you think?" Leo asks as Margaret continues to watch the hamster potter around his enclosure.

"I had a hamster when I was a kid." She informs him.

"How much did it weigh?" Leo asks her.

"I don't know it would never sit still long enough." Margaret shrugs and Leo sighs because she's no help at all.

"Leo McGarry, my guess is 35.8 oz." He tells the attendant who takes down the details.

"Weighing is in two hours."

*

"You need a seven for that frog." CJ says pointing to the stuffed toy on display in front of them.

Margaret watches as Sam aims the dart at the target worth seven, his arm wobbles before he goes for his target landing squarely in the middle.

"Sam, Sam you are the man." CJ cries out throwing her arms around him before they collect their prize.

"Onwards to the ball toss." Sam commands, they move onto the next game in a fit of laughter.

"Leo!" A loud voice booms, unmistakably the Presidents.

"Sir." Leo says spinning around from where he was watching CJ and Sam stagger around, their high caused by life...or mainly sugar.

"Isn't this fantastic, I've just been on the roller coaster three times with Zoey, I've heard people are forking up their tickets and then some in contributions and I lost all my change on the Kamikaze."

"Sir, you don't carry change anymore." Leo reminds him.

"I know but I can't remember having this much fun since I last balanced my checkbook."

"Well you are a big old economics professor with a stick up your bum." Leo reminds him laughing.

"Not tonight Leo." The President waves his hand goodbye as he heads for the Zipper.

"This is a secret service nightmare." Leo says out of the blue.

"Leo the Secret Service has the perimeter surrounded, they bought in an independent body to check all the rides, you couldn't take candy from a baby, let alone the President's life right now."

"You're really starting to annoy me you know." Leo says turning to smile at her.

"A banana split would keep me quite for a while." Margaret offers.

"A banana split and where am I going to get one of them?" Leo asks.

"Over there." Margaret points to the stall that's selling homemade lemonade at the same time.

*

"Corn dogs, Cotton candy, yes, but banana splits?" Leo asks as they share the cold desert.

Margaret shrugs her shoulders as she lifts another spoonful of the chocolate sauce covered fruit to her mouth.

"What's next?" Leo asks lifting the napkin to wipe his mouth.

Margaret looks up and down the small street making suggestions as she goes. "The Kamikaze, the Gravitron, the Hurricane, the Sky diver?" 

Leo's eyes follow hers along the variety of carnival rides, which promise to throw him up down and all around.

"Pass." Leo says placing his plastic spoon next to Margaret's in the dish.

"The Octopus, the Paratrooper?" Margaret continues noticing Leo giving her a strange look.

"You've got..." He says lifting a hand into the air.

"I've got what?" Margaret asks trying to understand him.

"Chocolate sauce." He says touching the left side of his face.

Margaret grabs her napkin wiping the left corner of her mouth.

"No it's on your..." Leo points to the right side of mouth this time so Margaret might wipe her left.

She does but misses the delicate smear that lies across her cheek, Leo smiles grabbing his napkin.

"You missed it." He says gently leaning across the table, his left hand carefully holds her face; the other wipes away the sweet liquid. Realizing what he's just done he pauses, a slight flush of embarrassment crosses his face at the personal moment he just found himself in.

"Thank you." Margaret says trying to ease the situation.

"How about the Bumper cars?" Leo suggests turning his attention back to Margaret.

"You're driving." Margaret says leaping out of the chair.

*           

"CJ and Sam, Josh and Donna, The President and Zoey." Margaret points out as she settles in next to Leo.

"Where's the brake?" Leo asks and Margaret shoots him a look.

"You can't go much faster than walking pace and you stop when you crash into someone." Margaret says, as the cars start moving.

They bump into CJ and Sam, Margaret crashing against Leo in her seat on impact, they connect head on with Josh and Donna as the President and Zoey make contact with Leo's side of the car.

Laughing hysterically Margaret grabs the wheel trying to help Leo out of the three way they have themselves in.

When their ride is over, Leo is smiling and looks more relaxed than he has in a long time.

*

"Ready for the roller coaster?" Margaret asks dragging Leo into the growing line.

"I don't know what the attraction is with being thrown around, up and down." Leo complains as they wait.

"Neither do I." Margaret admits and they fall into a comfortable silence.

"You don't scream do you?" Leo asks as the protective bar of car seven comes down across their laps.

"I usually shut my eyes and hang on." Margaret admits.

"So if you don't like it why do you ride?" Leo asks as they pull slowly out along the track.

"It takes me outside my comfort level." Margaret admits leaning towards him as the ride jerks to the left.

They continue in silence getting thrown from side to side till they loom closer to the large dip. "You ready?" Margaret asks feeling Leo's clammy hand slip into hers.

Together they brace themselves and squeeze their eyes shuts as they plunge downwards, leaving their stomachs behind. As they flow back up the other side, their eyes open and their internal organs settle. That is till a loud grating noise bellows in their ears and they come to a complete halt on the upward slope.

"This isn't supposed to happen is it?" Leo asks looking over at her.

"No." Margaret answers with certainty looking tentatively over the edge. "I guess we wait."

As the other people on the ride start to murmur concern, looking around for an attendant to rescue them, Leo peers over the edge saying sharply. "Terrific."

"What?" Margaret asks leaning over him and looking below them, the people on the ground look like big ants, some have started to gather looking up at the stationary roller coaster.

"Over there." Leo points towards the snow cone stand. "Sam and CJ... are kissing."

"They're such a cute couple." Margaret sighs happily.

"They're in so much trouble tonight." Leo corrects her.

"Leo." Margaret scolds.

"You've probably got the whole West Wing paired off." Leo guesses.

"Toby and Ginger, Josh and Donna, CJ and Sam." Margaret rattles off.

"What about me?" Leo asks after a moment. He sends her head into a spin trying to come up with a name that isn't hers.

"Ainsley," Margaret answers cringing.

"Ainsley Hayes, Republican lawyer Ainsley Hayes?" Leo confirms.

"Yes." Margaret replies hesitantly.

"Ainsley Hayes, the Ainsley who wrote the op-ed pieces about me, the one who works in the basement?"

"Yes." Margaret says even more hesitantly.

"We couldn't be at further ends of the spectrum." Leo decides.

"Well who then?" Margaret asks and immediately regrets it.

"I'm not answering that." Leo protests.

"We'll just sit here then." Margaret sighs happy to hear the subject drop.

"Someone who understands me." Leo begins after a couple of minutes of silence, around him people are starting to grumble and complain as no one comes to their aid. Margaret tenses as she listens to his criteria. "Someone who understands the hours I choose to work and the job I do, someone who'll love me unconditionally because my past is tainted and share my future."

"You don't think Ainsley could be that person?" Margaret asks putting her name next to all those criteria.

"I don't know." Leo says honestly letting the conversation die back to silence.

Shifting in the small seat Margaret's legs brushes against Leo's. She disciplines herself to ignore the feelings it awakens. "Sorry."

"No need." Leo replies as they fall back into silence before the roller coaster rolls back into the dip and someone rescues them from the ride gone wrong.

*

"They're weighing Clyde about now." Margaret says breaking the silence as they walk away from the roller coaster.

"I don't think I'll be getting on anything more adventurous than the teacups from now on." Leo advises heading towards the tent.

"Leo McGarry!" A loud voice calls as they approach, some of the people in the gathered crowd turn and look around each other. In response Leo wanders through the gathered crowd, they envelope him and at the back of the crowd Margaret looses sight of him.

She's distracted by Sam who calls out from the teacup ride, CJ with her arms waving in the air next to him. Margaret waves hoping Leo will go easy when they get back to their rooms tonight about their public display of affection earlier.

She turns back around to see the crowd parting and Leo carrying the enormous stuffed lion.

He looks dubiously at her but Margaret can't help breaking out into a huge smile at the sight of her boss with the large stuffed lion under her arm.

"Here you go." Leo says holding out the mustard colored animal.

"Thank you." Margaret beams.

"Well it's not a week in the Keys." Leo apologizes.

"I'm going to call him Leo." Margaret says holding Leo the lion in front of her.

"As long as it doesn't make an appearance at the office." Leo accepts, "hang on what are you trying to say about me by naming that lion after me?"

"Who says he's named after you?" Margaret says quietly.

*

"Ferris Wheel." Margaret says directing Leo to the queue, in front of them the President and Zoey, Josh and Donna wait.

"Leo!" The President waves, his eyes opening wider at the toy in Margaret's arms, behind them Sam and CJ join the line making their presence known. Leo frowns, preparing to have words but he looks across at Margaret who encourages him to let it slide.

"You leaving the lion on the ground?" Leo asks as an empty chair comes around.

"He'll be safe." Margaret says sitting next to Leo, moments later the attendant pulls protective bar down and they inch on to allow CJ and Sam to sit down. When they're seated and locked in the generator kicks in taking them up, around and down again.

"You could see the water from here if it was daylight." Margaret says as they look out over the carnival and the rest of the area.

"The motel is out there somewhere." Leo replies as they drop down towards the ground again.

"I can see Toby." Margaret points out as they go around another half a dozen times.

"Is he sulking?" Leo asks.

"No, I think Ginger put a stop to that." Margaret laughs as they slow to a stop halfway to the top. Down below people are starting to get off, as those who are still waiting to ride get on.

"Are you cold?" Leo asks noticing Margaret shiver as they move closer to the top.

"A little." Margaret replies as she pulls her sweater from around her waist. Leo takes it from her, covering her back with it and helping her arms into the sleeves. He closes the button down front closely without doing it up.

"Sorry." Leo apologizes as his forearm brushes against her breast.

"It's Ok." Margaret forgives looking directly at him.

"Did you have a good time tonight?" Leo asks turning his attention briefly to the skyline and back to her gaze.

"I did, but there's one thing I still want?" Margaret replies purposely brushing her leg with his this time.

"What more could you possibly want that Leo the Lion?" Leo smiles tilting his head slightly closer as they inch to the top of the ride.

"Simple." Margaret whispers moving her head closer to his as Leo does the same. "Leo McGarry."

On top of the world...at least the carnival they seal off a perfect day with a passionate kiss signaling the beginning of something else perfect as well.

*


End file.
